Gate latch



June 6, 1925.

. s. A. WELLMAN GATE TCH Filed Jul 9. 1924 OR SA WELLMAN ATTO EYPatented June 16, 1925,

1 UNITED. 5

1,542,198 r ATENT OFFICE.

same; WELLM'AN, orinasen QIT'Y, IOWA.

Application filed 19 10, 1924. Serial No. 727,067.

To alien/ 20m it may concern:

130 it known thatI, Sn'rH A. VELLMAN, a citizen oft-he United Statesot"America', and resident of lllason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa,have invented a new and-useful Gate Latch, of which the following is aspecification. 1 f

The object of this invention is topro v-ide tan improved airtomatic'latch for swinging gates. 4 i Y My invention consists in-th'e'construction, arrangement and combination of {elements hereinafter setfortln pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing, in whichg Figure 1 is a plan vi'ewillustrating a gateequippedwithmy improved" latch. Figure 2 is a side elevation ofthe same.Figure 3 is a cross-section, orianenlarged scale, on the line 33otFigure ,2. Figureg isa perspectiye view of the locking eap detachedand in inverted, position. 7 a

In the construction o'f the device asshown the numeral 10 designatesgenerally agate, of any suitableconstruction, hinged at one end to a-post 11 and adapted to be engaged at timesat its opposite'end with alatch. post 12. Extending through and secured firmly in the end :bar 13at the free end otthegate 10 are spaced eyebolts 14l:,fh2L-Vl 11g theireyes in vertical alinement beyond the free end of thelgate.fllIOHIltECl=l'I1'lillB eyes of the eye bolts 141, for rotaryoscillation and for verti-.

cal sliding movement, is a latching rod 15, arranged parallel with theend gatebar 13, and fixed rigidly to said latching rod are latching caps16, one just above and supported on each of the eyebolts 14. One of thecaps 16 is shown in Figure 4, and is formed with a downwardly extendingperipheral flange 17 adapted to loosely embrace the eye of a bolt 14, orother suitable bearing member of similar form. The flange 17 is formedwith a radial notch 18, relatively deep, adapted to engage the stem ofthe eyebolt 14 and when so engaged to prevent rotary movement of the cap16 and the latching rod 15 attached thereto. Fixed to the latching rod15 and extending therefrom divergently in a general direction away fromthe gate 10, are wings 19, 20, which wings preferably are curved attheir outer ends or flange awa from each other more sharply as clearlysiiown in Figure 8. The wings 19,

20, as here shown, are duplicated, one pair being located near the topand the other 1 near the bottomof the gate. The wings 19, 20 are adaptedat times to engage on opposite sides of, and partially embrace the latchpost 12, or more specifically this instance, where the post is shown asof considerable diameter, an auxiliary post or rod 12 supported fromuandin parallel relation to said post 12, said auxiliary post or rod beingo-f considerably less diameter than the post. 1 It is obv-io'us'that theaction is the sarnewhether the ings engage the post 12 directly, or anauxiliary member fixed thereto as here shown. When the wings 19, 20 ereso ongaged, the notches 1801? the caps 16 are'in position-to engage thestems of *the eyebol ts 14;, thus preventing rotary movement of the rod15 and effectively latching thefgate to the post 12. hen the parts arein this position'the wings 1 9, 20"extend in substan- .gate may then beswung onits hinges, the

iwings 19,1 20 extending "at an wang'gle .to the ftrendof thegate .anddisengaging fromthe latch post. As the gate is swung on its hinges awayfrom the latch post 12, the wings 19, 2O naturally turn in suchdirection that they point toward said post, as shown in Figure 1, sothat when the gate is again moved to closed position said wings willengage the post 12 or 12' and be turned by such engagement into aposition where they will prevent accidental opening of the gate, thenotch 18 coming into engagement with the stem of the eyebolt 14. Toinsure that the rod 15 and cap 16 will not turn too far, shallow notches21, 22 are formed in the edge of the flange 17, one on each side of andequally spaced from the latching notch 18, which notches are designed toengage, selectively, the stem of the eyebolt and limit such rotarymovement. The shallow notches 21, 22 are spaced from the notch 18 tosuch extent that in opening movement of the gate, the cap 16 is turnedjust far enough for one or the other of said notches to engage the stemof the eyebolt as the wings 19, 20 clear the post 12 or 12, andconsequently hold said wings in such position that they will engage thepost when the gate is swung shut, and by such engagement be moved tolatching position. The notches 21, 22 are so shallow that the jar causedby engagement of the wings with the post causes them to be disengagedfrom the eyebolt, and preferably are rounded so that the cap 16 rides upon the eyebolt when such jar occurs. The notch 18 is deep enough that itwill not become engaged except by purposeful lifting of the cap or rodmanually. One only of the caps 16 may be used, but if more are employedthey must be so arranged that their notches will simultaneously engagethe respective eyebolts.

At times if desired the rod 15 may be rotated manually to inoperativeposition, one or the other of the shallow notches 21, 22 of the cap 16passing beyond the stem of the eyebolt and the wings 19, 20 passing intoa position approximately parallel or in contact with the gate 10, sothat the gate will not be latched when closed. It is obvious that thelatching means may be mounted on the post 12 and arranged to engage thegate bar 13 if desired.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a gate hinged forswinging movement relative to a latch post, of a latching devicecomprising a bearing having a stem by which it is fixed to the free endof said gate, a rod mounted for rotary oscillation and for verticalsliding movement in said bearing, a cap fixed to said rod above saidbearing and having a depending peripheral flange, the flange of said capbeing formed with a radial notch adapted to receive the stem of saidbearing and prevent oscillation of said cap and rod, and divergent wingsfixed to said rod and adapted to partially embrace the latch post attimes.

2. The combination with a gate hinged for swinging movement relative toa latch post, of a latching device comprising a bearing having a stem bywhich it is fixed to the free end of said gate, a rod mounted for rotaryoscillation and for vertical sliding movement in said bearing, a flangedcap fixed to said rod above said bearing, the flange of said cap beingformed with means to engage the stem of said bearing and preventoscillation of said cap and rod,

divergent wings fixed to said rod and adapted to partially embrace thelatch post at times, and means to limit rotary movement of said caprelative to said bearing in both directions from the stem-engagingmeans.

3. The combination with a gate hinged for swinging movement relative toa latch post, of a latching device comprising a hearing having a stem bywhich it is fixed to the free end of said gate, a rod mounted for rotaryoscillation and for vertical sliding movement in said bearing, a flangedcap fixed to said rod above said bearin the flange of said cap beingformed With a relatively deep notch adapted to engage tit:= stem of saidbearing and when so cngag l to prevent oscillation of the cap and rod.divergent wings fixed to said rod and adapted at times to engage onopposite sides of the latch post, and relatively shallow notches in theflange of said cap, on opposite sides of the first notch, to engage thestem ol: the bearing at times and prevent accidental oscillation. ofsaidcap and the rod.

Signed at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa,this 5th day of April, 1924'.

SETH A. WELLMAN.

